The first high-altitude vertical recovery flight test of China's privately run carrier rocket Nebula-1 has smoothly nailed more than 90 percent of its verification tasks, despite the anomaly at the last stage that led to the crashing of the vehicle. The test signaled a "milestone" step forward as it represented the country's first ever high-altitude recovery flight by an orbital rocket rather than an experimental one, Executive President Zhao Ya of Deep Blue Aerospace, developer of Nebula-1, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Monday.

The key technical points verified during this test process totaled 11 items, including four items in the rocket's acceleration phase during takeoff, two in the deceleration ascent phase, one in the descent phase, two in the guided maneuver deceleration phase, and another two in the final landing deceleration phase, according to the company.

Except for the last node of the landing deceleration phase, which was not completed, the other 10 verification tasks proceeded smoothly and steadily, Zhao told the Global Times. "From the perspective of flying time, the Nebula-1 flew for 179 seconds, with issues arising only in the final 3.8 seconds," he said.

Zhao said the overall performance of this flight test has already exceeded their expectations, as the majority of the preset tasks was completed quite well.

The test was considered "a milestone event" for China's progress in the development of reusable rocket, as it is the first time that an orbital rocket, rather than experimental ones, is used.

Zhao explained that the design complexity of an orbital rocket's recovery is far greater than that of an experimental rocket, as experimental rockets normally weigh about 50 to 70 percent of the total, allowing for designs of redundancies and structural elements to improve the vehicle's stability, while the Nebula-1 orbital rocket's weight only accounted for 10 percent of the total.

The reduced structural weight allows more propellant to be fueled, so that it can travel farther into the preset orbit, a distance that experimental rockets cannot achieve, Zhao said.

Elaborating on the failure of the last stage, Zhao said that the Nebula-1 consumes approximately 60 kilograms of propellant each second, and as a result, the weight of the rocket was continuously changing over the 180 seconds of flight time, especially during the landing phase when the propellant is nearly depleted, leading to significant differences in weight and speed.

In the final 3.8 seconds, the thrust control mechanism failed to accurately track the decrease in thrust, and the actual thrust turned out higher than expected. This caused the rocket's speed to drop to zero when it was about 8 meters above the ground. If it continued, the rocket could have potentially reversed and taken off again, potentially bringing safety risks. Therefore, a shutdown command was triggered to ensure safety, Zhao said.

"Our current assessments suggest that the cause of this failure lie in the aging of engine. It has already been used for over 1,000 seconds," Zhao noted.

The company said in a statement on Monday that plans are already in place for another high-altitude vertical recovery test in November, building on the lessons learned from this initial attempt.

The Nebula-1 rocket is Deep Blue Aerospace's first commercial liquid rocket capable of reaching orbit and being reused. It serves as a crucial platform for breaking through and validating vertical recovery and reusability technologies for rockets. The Nebula-1 has a body diameter of 3.35 meters and a first stage height of approximately 21 meters. It is equipped with the Thunder-R liquid oxygen and kerosene engine, a reusable liquid rocket engine developed entirely in-house by Deep Blue Aerospace, with over 90 percent of its main structure made using high-temperature alloy 3D printing technology.

China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) on Friday revealed major advancements at three archaeological sites, showcasing significant discoveries of history and culture from prehistoric period and the Xia Dynasty (c.2070BC-c.1600BC).
The Huangchaodun site is located in Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. It is a settlement from the early to mid-Neolithic period, dating back approximately 9,300 to 8,000 years.

The site, covering an area of about 70,000 square meters, includes two platforms, a surrounding moat, and a rice paddy. Ancient river channels, ponds, and water ditches connecting the ponds to the settlement moat were also discovered.

The rice paddy, located east of the platforms and covering about 15,000 square meters, has revealed ridges and possible wooden remains, with the discovery of carbon-tempered pottery shards. Optically stimulated luminescence dating indicates that the rice paddy dates back to the Shangshan culture - recognized as the world's earliest rice cultivation culture, dating between 11,400 and 8,600 years ago - and extends into the early Neolithic Kuahuqiao culture period.

Lin Liugen, a professor from the School of Art and Archaeology of Zhejiang University, told the Global Times on Friday that the site is characterized by its "distinctive features and unique elements." It is one of the most well-preserved Shangshan-Kuahuqiao culture sites, offering a vivid snapshot of early rice farming communities within the lower Yangtze River region.

"Understanding the relationship between such a large-scale rice paddy field and the settlement is of great significance for studying the early agricultural development in ancient China 9,000 years ago and for recognizing the dietary structure of our ancestors at that time," he said.
The second project, the Caoyangang site in Xinghua, East China's Jiangsu Province, is a mid-Neolithic site, dating back about 7,200 to 6,900 years.

Covering more than 80,000 square meters, the site is covered by a natural sediment measuring nearly 2 meters thick. The unique low-lying wetland environment with waterlogged preservation has allowed for the excellent conservation of a large number of organic artifacts.

Over 200 features, including house sites, ash pits, ash ditches, and wells, have been discovered. In addition, more than 2,800 artifacts made of various materials, including pottery, bone, stone, wood, jade, and shells, have been unearthed. It is worthy to mention that the unearthed fire-drilling tools are the earliest known in China.

Gan Huiyuan, a research fellow at Jiangsu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, told the Global Times that the Caoyangang site is the earliest known Neolithic site in the eastern Jianghuai region, with a novel cultural aspect, rich connotations, and distinct regional characteristics, filling a gap in the Neolithic archaeology of the Jianghuai area, a region near the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.
The third unveiled Baliqiao site is located in Fangcheng county, Central China's Henan Province. It is a large enclosed settlement of the renowned Erlitou culture, which has been dated between 1700-1600BC.

The site, spanning approximately 1.35 million square meters, is bordered by moats on its north, west, and south sides, with a local river forming its eastern boundary. On the east bank of the Pan River, large-scale cultural remains from the same period have been uncovered. Sacrificial pits have been found around the main building of Site 1, with the discovery of ritual vessels, jade, and turquoise artifacts.

Wu Zhijiang, deputy research fellow of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, told the Global Times that the Baliqiao site is the largest and highest-ranked Erlitou culture settlement discovered in southern Henan Province to date, and bears a close relation with the Erlitou Relics that can be traced back to 3,500 to 3,800 years ago in ancient China's late Xia or early Shang (1600-1046 BC) dynasties.

He noted that the preliminary revelations of the "multi-grid layout" and the discovery of significant remains such as large rammed earth buildings offer new insights into the morphology and social structure of urban settlements in Xia culture. These discoveries mark a significant breakthrough in the archaeology of Xia culture.

China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) on Wednesday released a guideline on promoting high-quality development of archaeological research and education, marking a significant step forward in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage across the whole nation. 

The guideline outlines five key points: adhering to the correct direction of archaeological research and education, opening up various archaeological resources, strengthening talent cultivation and curriculum development, ensuring the safety and order of research and education activities, and enhancing support, incentives, and standardized guidance.

One of the most notable proposals is the call for the opening of various archaeological research and education resources. Provincial cultural heritage administrative departments are encouraged to establish and publish lists of venues available for archaeological research and education. This includes archaeological site parks, site museums, archaeological research institutes, archaeological specimen storage rooms, and archaeological sites, all of which are expected to conduct archaeological research and education activities in a standardized and orderly manner.

Officials from the NCHA have indicated that through archaeological research and education activities, participants can engage in multiple experiences within archaeological institutions and venues. This approach is an effective means of understanding and comprehending the history of ancient China and Chinese civilization, which is beneficial for the inheritance and promotion of China's fine traditional culture and for nurturing the public's scientific literacy and humanistic spirit.

From archaeological site parks, museums, archaeological workstations to excavation sites, in recent years, various regions in China have introduced distinctive research and education products and services. The effective transformation of archaeological findings has provided the public with deep experiences and practical education opportunities.

NCHA has highlighted several exemplary cases, including one project launched by the Chongqing Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute. 

Students participating in the program are tasked with completing three missions. They need to act as treasure hunters to retrieve important clues from a "band of thieves," decoding Morse code under the guidance of a mentor to gather information on cultural relics. Then the students need to learn about the protection of cultural relics, experiencing the restoration and conservation of relics through methods such as piecing and adhering fragments together. In the end, under the guidance of mentors, the youth will also learn about precious cultural relics unearthed in the Bashu region dating to different periods such as the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-771BC) and Tang Dynasty (618-907). They will gain insight into the restoration and display of ancient tombs, as well as the evolution of tomb burials and related knowledge from ancient times to the present.

Fan Lili from the institute told the Global Times on Thursday that the Chongqing Archaeological Research and Education Base, relying on the archaeological field resources of the Chongqing Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, has developed a series of research and education programs suitable for all age groups. 

Since it began official operations on September 29, 2022, the base has carried out more than 200 public archaeology, research and education activities, hosting over 80,000 participants. The immersive theater has held more than 500 performances, reaching an audience of nearly 20,000 people, she said.

The Beijing Archaeological Research Institute （BARI） has also been an active participator in the field of archaeological research and education. This summer, it conducted the Liulihe Summer Field School, where four international students from the US engaged in archaeological research and education activities at the Liulihe relic site in Beijing's Fangshan district for over a month. They diligently learned the theories and practical methods of Chinese archaeology.

The Liulihe relic site is considered to be the capital of the Yan kingdom during the Western Zhou Dynasty. The site contains rammed earth city walls, remains and burial areas. A history of more than 3,000 years makes the site the earliest traceable source of urban civilization in Beijing.

Wang Jing, a research fellow from BARI who participated in the project, told the Global Times on Thursday that the four US students are majoring in archaeology, anthropology and museology. They show strong interest in Chinese archaeology and they will be able to make good use of what they learned and to carry on cooperation with Chinese partners.

Wang said carrying on such archaeological research and education activities is also beneficial for introducing Chinese experience in archaeology to other countries and fostering international talents in archaeology. She added that the international project in archaeology will continue to be held in the next few years.

A performance by dancers of the National Ballet of China closed the two-month-long Open Door to Art summer festival in Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall (FCCH) on Saturday night. 

According to Liu Qi from the National Ballet of China, the performance for young children included selections from the classic ballets The Four Little Swans and modern ballet pieces like On the Road and Song of the Wilderness. 

The Open Door to Art summer festival has been held each summer for the past 31 years. According to Xu Jian from the Beijing Poly Forbidden City Theatre Management Company, the summer festival has built a platform for audiences to experience the art of Beijing performed by the country's national-level art troupes and international artists as well. 

The year 2024's festival also hosted artistic tours to Beijing, its neighboring Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province with a variety of visiting and art experiences.

Editor's Note:

"I'm a foreigner, but I don't feel foreign!" In China, there's a group of foreigners who don't feel foreign at all – they eat Chinese food, speak Putonghua, read ancient poetry, and practice Tai Chi, embodying the essence of Chinese people. Their unique bond with China has led them to fall deeply in love with the country. Global Times' "Huanju Yitang" studio presents "Encountering China, Falling in Love with China" – a series of short videos showcasing foreigners who don't feel foreign, telling their vivid stories and authentically depicting the economic boom, societal transformation, and lush landscapes of a new era in China from a foreign perspective. Today, we offer the sixth episode: "Tunisian Student He Yingyue: Seeing vitality of Chinese modernization through a peach"

Beijing's Pinggu is known as the "land of peaches." As the largest local specialty of Pinggu, the peach industry continues to upgrade itself and empower rural revitalization. Future-oriented orchards, agricultural innovation zones, and live-streaming e-commerce demonstration areas... Tunisian student who goes by the Chinese name of He Yingyue experiences the vivid practice of Chinese modernization through the story of a peach. What are her insights? China and Africa are genuine, friendly brothers and demonstrate a model of solidarity and cooperation among developing countries. Advancing modernization is a shared dream for both China and Africa. As the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation takes place in Beijing, what are He Yingyue's expectations for China-Africa cooperation?

Wind turbines are installed in Nagqu, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, at an altitude of more than 5,200 meters on September 12, 2024. This 100-megawatt facility is the world's highest-altitude wind power project currently under construction. The project will be fully completed and operational by late October. It is expected to generate an additional 223 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

In today's world, where the futures of all countries are closely linked, development, security and civilization play important roles in promoting the modernization process of human society. The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, offer profound insights into the issues of our time. The Global Times invites scholars to provide readers both at home and abroad with an in-depth understanding of these three initiatives. This is the first article in the series.

The just-concluded 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was a significant event dedicated to discussing plans for deepening friendly cooperation between China and Africa in the new era. Since its establishment in 2000, FOCAC has witnessed the enduring and strengthening friendship between China and Africa, promoting mutual achievements and shared development. On September 21, 2021, President Xi Jinping attended the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in Beijing via video link. He delivered an important speech and officially proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), to put development high on the global macro policy agenda and speed up the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Today, as the friendship between China and Africa transcends time and space, overcoming vast distances, both sides are advancing together, marching down the broad path toward the shared dream of modernization.

The joint efforts of China and Africa in promoting an open and win-win modernization are a vivid embodiment of the GDI. From the daily lives of ordinary people to the modernization journeys of nations, it is clear that the GDI represents a significant and tangible achievement that unites international consensus and promotes shared global development. 

Advancing together with a focus on development

In my over 40 years of work related to Africa, I have participated in the preparation and hosting of numerous FOCAC-related meetings and have witnessed the continuous strengthening of China-Africa relations through friendly cooperation and mutual benefit. I firmly believe that regardless of how the international landscape changes, China-Africa cooperation will continue to grow stronger and become more robust.

On this journey of cooperation, the pursuit of development, revitalization and the shared dream of modernization serve as guiding milestones. Both China and Africa are united in their aspirations for modernization, their belief in solidarity and cooperation, and their hope for a better future. Joining forces for development is key to achieving these shared goals. China as the world's largest developing country, and Africa, the continent with a high concentration of developing counties, face common challenges. The China-proposed GDI addresses the most urgent issues facing developing countries by focusing on development and emphasizing cooperation. In the broader context of bridging the global development gap and revitalizing international progress, this initiative has infused China-Africa cooperation with strong momentum. Both sides are now working together to build a model for implementing the GDI.

Africa's strong desire for modernization and its long-term focus on peace and prosperity align closely with the GDI. This alignment demonstrates that China-Africa cooperation resonates deeply in terms of shared values and coordinated progress. As a key driver of global development, China offers its wisdom and solutions through the GDI and other international public goods to address global challenges and promote sustainable development. Implementing these Chinese solutions presents unprecedented opportunities for China-Africa cooperation and development, accelerating their shared progress in the new era. 

Deepening cooperation: a continuous historical journey

At the 2024 FOCAC summit, leaders from China and Africa gathered to discuss cooperation and future prospects under the theme "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future." This summit has generated significant momentum for modernization efforts and has accelerated the transition of the GDI from broad concepts to detailed implementation.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the first generation of leaders from the People's Republic of China and early African leaders launched a new era in China-Africa relations. Since then, China and Africa have supported each other and fought together against imperialism, colonialism and hegemony, establishing a deep and lasting friendship. From the 1970s until the end of the century, China and Africa achieved mutual development in trade, investment and other areas.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, especially in the new era, China-Africa cooperation has continuously strengthened in a comprehensive and multi-level manner. Since 2013, President Xi has visited Africa five times, attended two FOCAC summits and frequently met with African leaders. The relationship has evolved from the idea that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future to joining hands to advance modernization and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, continuously opening new chapters in their cooperative history and expanding the prospects for their relationship. 

Injecting new momentum into modernization

During my time working in Africa, I remember that one of the biggest health risks for Africans at the time was malaria. With limited treatment options, many relied almost obsessively on traditional quinine, despite its side effects, which could lead to miscarriages. At that time, China produced a drug called Cotecxin domestically. In a remote village in Kenya, a woman suffering from malaria had lost two opportunities to become a mother due to quinine. She then sought help from a Chinese medical team and switched to the Chinese-made Cotecxin. A miracle happened after just three treatment courses. Not only was the malaria under control, but she also successfully gave birth to a boy. To honor the Chinese medication, she named her child Cotecxin.

Cotecxin played a crucial role in combating malaria in Africa and it is more widely known as artemisinin. Today, the supply model for artemisinin has shifted from being solely provided by China to local production and supply within Africa. This represents a vivid example of building a China-Africa health community. 

After nearly 70 years of diligent efforts, China-Africa relations are now at their most favorable point in history. Today, the intensity of exchanges and the breadth and depth of cooperation between China and Africa are unprecedented. The concept of building a community with a shared future is becoming increasingly rich, and both sides are achieving impressive results through the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the implementation of the GDI.

It is believed that the more than 2.8 billion people of China and Africa, united in solidarity and working together, can harness immense power to jointly promote a peaceful, secure, prosperous and progressive future for the world. The shared dream of modernization between China and Africa is set to ignite a wave of modernization across the Global South and open a new chapter in building a community with a shared future.

China's private space company LandSpace successfully conducted a 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) test on Wednesday, marking the country's first in-flight ignition during the descent stage. 

The Beijing-based firm shared the achievement with the Global Times, highlighting the significant step toward developing its ZQ-3 reusable rocket.

The test is seen as a key step in the development China's commercial aerospace industry and in particular the mastering of heavy duty, low cost, high launch-frequency reusable rockets, according to analysts.

The flight test was completed with the VTVL-1 test rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province on Wednesday.

The total length of the flight took 200.7 seconds and reached a height of 10,002 meters above surface. During its descent, the rocket completed an in-flight engine ignition at a height of 4.64 kilometers, which is the first of its kind in China. The rocket safely achieved vertical soft landing to a recycling pad located 3.2 kilometers away from the launch pad.

The height of the recent test significantly surpasses that of a previous test in January, during which the rocket remained airborne for approximately 60 seconds and reached a height of 320 meters.

After the two successful trial tests, the company said it is planning the maiden launch of ZQ-3 in 2025 and achieving recyclable rocket components in 2026, striving to achieve important breakthroughs in realizing heavy payload, low cost, reusable launches within three years.

VTVL-1 is liquid oxygen, methane-propelled single-stage test rocket designed to develop the vertical takeoff and landing technique for LandSpace's ZQ-3 reusable rocket. 

The VTVL-1 has a total length of 18.3 meters and a diameter of 3.35 meters, with a launch weight of 50.3 tons and 68 tons of take-off thrust.

The ZQ-3 carrier rocket is China's first reusable steel rocket. It was unveiled in December 2023. 

The first stage of the rocket can be used for a minimum of 20 flights, reducing the launch cost by 80 to 90 percent compared to regular carrier rockets, LandSpace said.

In June,state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation completed China's first 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing flight test of a reusable launch vehicle at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket, powered by liquid oxygen-methane engine, has a diameter of 3.8 meters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing on Monday.

China unveiled the country's first standard outlining the functional, technical, and performance criteria for fake digital face detection services in the financial field at the 2024 Inclusion Conference on the Bund in Shanghai.

This standard, the first of its kind for artificial intelligence (AI)-powered face-swapping technology in financial services in the country, also incorporates corresponding testing and evaluation methods, according to the China News Services (CNS).

The standard specifies detailed requirements for functionality and performance, according to the report. At the functional level, relevant institutions should possess the capability to detect fake digital faces across different scenarios, including replacement, activation, and deepfakes.

In terms of performance, institutions should also establish a real digital face data set of no less than 5,000 images, along with fake face data sets of various forgery types to address complex real-life scenarios. Key factors include different skin tones, lighting conditions, levels of clarity, and whether or not voice is included.

This marks an important step in advancing AI safety, Qin An, deputy director of the expert committee on counter-terrorism and cyber security governance at the China Society of Police Law, told the Global Times on Sunday. He added that beyond this standard, defined qualification standards for certification bodies in AI technologies are also crucial to ensuring data security.

Recently, several chat rooms suspected of creating and distributing deepfake pornographic material using doctored photos of ordinary women were reportedly discovered on the messaging app Telegram, with many of the victims and perpetrators known to be teenagers, as reported by The Korea Times.

The incident gained attention in China following posts by netizens claiming to be South Korean women, expressing fears of the incident being overlooked in their country, according to thepaper.cn.